Italiano 
Rossano Frada, Head of D.F.’s Technical Department, talks to us about production and current market dynamics
At D.F. it is not just materials that undergo transformation during production. The whole process is a metamorphosis that starts with an intuition – sometimes just a sketch or an idea spoken out loud – and takes shape thanks to expert skills and flexible organisation. Rossano, Technical and Production Manager, is one of the first people to grasp that initial spark of an idea and help develop it into something real.
“Sometimes the ideas people bring us are pretty basic and it’s up to me to work out if and how they can be turned into something we can manufacture” he says. He makes it sound easy but in actual fact it is a highly complex process involving analysis, giving material and technology advice, drawing up a work plan and checking prototype quality. It is a process where nothing is taken for granted and everything revolves around communicating with the client, being able to see the vision and turning it into something tangible.
Hi Rossano. You have extensive experience in the different stages of the eyewear manufacturing process. Can you tell us what you do exactly? And, more importantly, how you turn an idea into a pair of glasses or finished parts?
I am Technical and Production Manager here at D.F.. Basically, I take a client’s idea and turn it into something we can manufacture, although sometimes the original idea needs a lot of work to make it structurally sound.
This is how it works: when a client comes to us with an idea (which is sometimes no more than an outline with no definitive drawing), I sit down with them to get a better grasp of what it is they want to achieve. I analyse the project’s technical feasibility and suggest corrections to measurements, materials or production techniques (mould, milling, laser cutting). After we have decided on the idea and its feasibility, I prepare a detailed quote with the various stages and costs and show it to the owner. If the quote is accepted, I draw up a work plan.
It’s my job to coordinate everything – from when the materials are delivered to our premises to getting the equipment and the moulds ready. My responsibility ends when we deliver the first prototypes, which I personally check. Then somebody else oversees mass production.
Was your previous experience very different?
Yes. I spent nearly all my professional life at De Rigo: I joined the company at 20 and stayed until I was 51. I watched the company grow into the structured organisation it is today, going from lots of small units to one large enterprise. I started off in Prototypes, then moved to the Technical Department where we created our projects, equipment and moulds, all in-house. The semi-finished products were sent from Limana to Longarone for finishing. I grew professionally and became Head of Design at Limana and then Longarone, working with metal and then acetate.
Over the years, the design process became a lot more complicated, with parts lists, work cycles, equipment, costs and we had to interface continuously with the product office. Our designers became very methodical, especially for the high-end eyewear we produced in-house. I used to turn a physical, handmade prototype into something we could manufacture, breaking it down and designing each of the parts. It was manufacturing pure and simple, but I ended up spending 8-9 hours at my computer making three-dimensional drawings. I loved my job and was good at it, but it was becoming repetitive and it got to the point I felt I needed a change.
Do they have a more dynamic approach at D.F.? What are the main differences between it and a large company?
Yes, absolutely. The work here is very dynamic. In the morning I can spend half the day in the department checking sample quality, then I go to my computer to draw up quotes for projects, then maybe a client will call me with a problem. I’m also in charge of dealing with new clients. So my job is very varied.
Thanks to my previous experience, I have skills, rules and strategies I can bring to the table to help structure and organise our work. The greatest difference with a large company is the direct contact you have with the owner. There are no filters, if you have a problem, you take it to him and sort it out. Deciding on a strategy and implementing it is a lot quicker. There’s great flexibility. Everything may be more structured in a large company, but it’s also slower. Here you just get on with it: if you do well, you can do what you like, if you don’t, you’re the one who has to answer for it. If you want to work hard and get on, a small company is the place to be, you’ve got to feel it’s yours. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the results of your efforts and getting recognition for it. In a large company, you may design a model that goes on to win an international award, but no one knows it was you who did it. Here, on the other hand, you’re involved in all the everyday aspects of the company, you take part in trade fairs. It’s a family-run business, everyone knows everyone else, there’s close communication with everyone. Of course it helps if you’re tough, you’ve got to take the initiative.
Let’s talk about the market. What do you think about current trends and where does the Made in Italy label stand?
If you ask me, the Made in Italy label is in a league of its own as far as ideas and style are concerned. The big Italian companies come up with some awesome ideas. The problem is manufacturing products like these here in Italy, because of the costs. Manufacturing in Italy is very expensive. Sales margins have to cover high production costs, including waste and fixed costs such as staffing and infrastructure. More expensive, prestigious products tend to be made here in Italy, so you have more control over them and you can make sure no one copies your idea. Mass production or more low-budget products for the wider public are outsourced abroad. So Italy is still number one for design and luxury products.
Eyewear trends, just like any other sector, are cyclical. First designs were very intricate, then they went more minimal, and now more baroque, elaborate shapes are coming back. They come and go. If you ask me, the market has a very short memory. Nowadays it’s not the technology (which you can buy ready to go) that makes the difference in a product, it’s its style. It’s a bit like cars or motorbikes: technologically they’re all very similar, it’s their style that makes them stand out.
So you’d say your different experiences are essential in your current position?
Yes, absolutely. If I hadn’t had the chance to do what I did at De Rigo, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do here. My experience helps me deal with the unexpected. I see a part and know what we’re talking about, how it’s produced, what problems it may have. It makes it easier to anticipate any weaknesses and prevent problems down the line.
This is my experience anyway. If you take the initiative here at D.F., it can be really rewarding. And the work environment is calm and relaxed and this is often the answer to most problems.
